Leadership

AN EXPERIENCED, INNOVATION FOCUSED TEAM

Decades of experience and dedication focused on providing the best customer experience possible

Our leadership team has extensive experience in the areas critical for the long term success of a specialty chemicals and engineering company. Beyond the decades of experience and array of Phd degrees, the results produced over the years speak for themselves. Norquay is well positioned to adapt to market demands and has the leadership team to drive the company forward to the next level.

Carrington Smith, CEO

Carrington has over 25 years of experience in the industrial and chemical sectors providing business leadership, management, technology and commercialization solutions in a range of roles spanning technology management, business development, M&A analysis and execution, venture capital, open innovation, intellectual asset management and IP licensing. Carrington joined MPD Chemicals in February of 2014, as CEO. Prior to MPD Chemicals, Carrington held various leadership and managerial roles at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. for over 20 years, creating value for advanced technologies, business case construction, valuations, contract negotiation, building company relationships, and making the complex simple. He also directed initiatives with start-ups and other large companies to generate collaborative relationships and generate business growth.

Carrington began his industrial career with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. in a research and development role, having earned his BS in Chemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry with a focus on polymer science from Virginia Tech. Polymer development for gas separation membranes, electronic materials, adhesives and coatings were all part of Carrington’s early research and product development career at Air Products. He enjoys working with customers and partners to identify win-win relationships built on credibility, transparency and trust by leveraging the capabilities of MPD Chemicals across its business units (Monomer-Polymer and Dajac Labs, Silar Laboratories, Norquay Technology and IsoSciences) to provide custom chemical synthesis solutions. “Our customers desire critical enabling materials development, often starting with laboratory procedures and scales. Customers prefer to work with partners like us, who are willing and able to provide a pathway to economics that works for their application and who can remain a consistent supplier from lab to large scale multi-metric ton production. We are proud to serve an excellent current set of large and small customers with a diverse array of custom chemical solutions, and are excited about our future customer prospects as well. MPD Chemicals​ serves​ an important and differentiated role bridging contract research type projects to pilot and large scale manufacturing capabilities, all within the same organization ​as we grow and expand our companies' capabilities.”

Robert Heldt, Vice President & Founder

Norquay is owned and led by Robert (Bob) Heldt, who founded the Company in 1987. He earned a B. S. in Chemical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. Bob’s unique skills and practical experience building Norquay over 25 years gives him a three-dimensional view of the company; he understands product development, manufacturing operations, and sales & marketing very well. Because of his experience and perspective, Bob is especially effective at defining the practical chemical solutions to meet customer product challenges and needs. “I am very good at putting things together and getting them to work in ways which really help our customers,” he says. He takes pride in his ability to drive products through all of the development gates to capture a business opportunity.

Peter Litak, General Manager

Peter is responsible for the day to day operation and profit and loss performance of Norquay. He earned his Ph. D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Peter is well qualified to handle the day to day responsibilities of operating the business. Peter joined Norquay in 1995, and has served in several roles in R&D, Pilot Plant, and Operations before becoming the General Manager in 2013. Peter’s unique skill is his ability to translate how processes must run in the plant into what must be developed at the R&D level. His knowledge and hands-on approach to product development has enabled Norquay to develop products that meet customer requirements effectively. Peter’s strength is that he excels at developing processes to provide the quality products that Norquay’s customers have come to expect.

Donald Morrison, Director of Business Development

Don is responsible for the Sales and Business Development activities of Norquay. He earned his Ph. D. in Organometallic Chemistry from the University of Arizona, performed post-doctoral studies at the Max-Planck Institute, and has an M.B.A. from Colorado State University. Don has solid skills which enable him to solve both technical and business issues for customers and can visualize solutions to the chemistry and engineering aspects of new product development. Don joined Norquay in 2016 after serving in many roles ranging from R&D, Sales, Operations and Business Development at companies including Union Carbide, The Dow Chemical Company, and Boulder Scientific Company. In addition to his broad knowledge of several industries, he brings his ability to learn and adapt as new situations develop to help take products from customer concept to commercialization.

Michael Santangelo, Analytical and Quality Control Manager

Mike is responsible for managing the Analytical Chemistry department and leads the Quality Control (QC) function for Norquay. He earned an B. S. in Chemistry from LaSalle University. Mike’s combined skills and knowledge in analytical chemistry and operations enable him to quickly and precisely define effective test methods and perform QC functions for the Company. He joined Norquay in 2004 and brings with him a broad experience from many roles at companies including Rohm and Haas, PQ and ES Industries. His practical knowledge to develop in-process and final analytical test methods, coordinate results and best practices with customers, operate and maintain the Analytical and QC equipment of the company, and manage all functions related to product testing and qualification are a great benefit to Norquay.

James Hogate, Production Manager

Jim is responsible for the day to day plant operation activities and leads all environmental, regulatory and shipping activities of Norquay. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University. Jim joined Norquay in 2010 and has served in roles ranging from Production Engineer to Production Manager. He has coordinated equipment installation and plant build-out programs, and has an extensive knowledge of the Norquay Plant Operation. He shifted to the Production Manager role in 2015. His focus on operations, scheduling and throughput are key to the profitability of Norquay.

Alexander McLean, Facilities Engineer

AJ is responsible for all construction, maintenance, and facilities operations of Norquay. He earned a B. S. in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University. AJ joined Norquay in 2016 and oversees all new equipment installation, facility design, and maintenance programs for the facility. Formerly a consultant for SNC Lavalin, AJ worked on design and construction phases of projects for varied clients including Lonza and Arcelor Mittal, and oversaw construction and maintenance for the Coatesville Arcelor Mittal Steel Plant prior to joining Norquay. His broad experience in design and construction, facility maintenance, and systems operations makes AJ a great asset for the future growth of the Company.

Paul Hinkle, Research and Development Manager

Paul is responsible for the design and development of production processes, and all R&D activities of Norquay. He earned a Ph. D. in Organometallic Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis and performed post-doctoral studies at Exxon-Mobil Corporation. Paul joined Norquay in 2004 and has held positions as R&D Chemist and Lead Chemist for the Company. His vast experience and knowledge in Organometallic, Synthetic and Process chemistry result in well-designed, safe, scale-able, and reliable production processes of benefit to Norquay and customers.

About

Norquay Technology, recently acquired by MPD Chemicals, is a specialty chemical manufacturer with over 30 years of expertise in providing the scale-up and production of advanced proprietary custom materials, including organometallic, inorganic and organic molecules.